Tuesday 29 January 2013

Mayonnaise


1 egg yolk from a happy, organic chickie
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Squeeze of lemon juice or dash of white wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper
Half a garlic clove, finely grated
Peanut Oil

The only trick to mayo is to add the oil SLOWLY at first.  If you add it too quickly it won’t emulsify and you’ll need to start again (what a drag!)  Once you've cracked it you’ll never buy mayo again (unless you’re feeding a pregnant friend or someone with a weird, raw egg allergy)



Whisk together the egg yolk, Dijon, lemon or vinegar, garlic and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Be careful with the salt as mustard can be quite salty.  Now VERY SLOWLY dribble in a bit of the oil, whisky whisky until the oil is incorporated.  Keep doing this for a while until the mixture starts to hold together and look like mayo. Now if it stays all loose and runny, you've added your oil to fast, so don't complain to me if you've been impatient; this is a labour of love, my friends.

You can then add the oil more quickly, but to be honest, I’m fairly careful as I go, it’s not like it takes a long time.  When it’s quite thick, have a taste; if it’s too eggy add a bit more oil.  If you want it a bit whiter, add a tiny bit of boiling water and whisk again, this should whiten it up (I never bother).  Taste for seasoning and lemmonyness; when you’re happy with it, liberally spread on everything.

No comments:

Post a Comment